Ulquiorra Cifer (Seireitou)
Ulquiorra Cifer (ウルキオラ・シファー, Urukiora Shifā) is a male that was once an Anása-class . the former fourth Espada in Sōsuke Aizen's army of Arrancar. He met his end after being defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki in the latter's Hollow transformation. It is later revealed that through an obscure method, Ulquiorra resumed his life as a Hollow and eventually regained his status as a natural Arrancar. He was recruited by Kurama Kawahiru to become a member of the Quasso Regios. Appearance Ulquiorra is a slender, yet fairly muscular, male Arrancar of average height with a melancholic appearance, fairly short, messy black hair, pale white skin, a black upper lip, and green eyes with slit-shaped pupils similar to a cat's. Part of his bangs falls between his eyes, and he has distinctively thick eyebrows. He has teal lines that descend from his eyes, making it appear as if he is crying. His facial expression rarely changes, and he is almost always frowning. He wears typical Arrancar clothes: a white jacket, black sash, and a white hakama. However, his jacket seems to have longer coattails than others, and the collar is rather high. Like most other Arrancar, he possesses remnants of his former life as a Hollow in his appearance. His Hollow hole is located on his sternum where a heart would normally be (though initially, the hole was located on the base of his throat; a change that was seen in both the manga and anime). The remainder of his Hollow mask lies on top of his head, forming a broken helmet. He was formerly the fourth-ranked Espada, once signified by the tattoo on the left side of his chest; however, this tattoo is presumed to no longer be imprinted on his chest. Personality Ulquiorra is a very cold, callous, dispassionate figure, and is rather aloof, brooding, and indifferent, willing to harm both his comrades and enemies should they ever get in his way. He refers to anyone he does not find interesting as "trash" and treats them as expendable. Despite this, like most of the other top Espada, he is not particularly violent and will only fight when provoked or ordered to by Aizen. Ulquiorra has a strange habit of killing victims he is particularly interested in by stabbing them with his bare hand in the same location as his hollow hole, as stated by Grimmjow. Whether he is consciously aware of this habit or not is unknown. During a speech to Orihime, he claims he does not believe in human emotions, which he refers to as the "heart", reasoning that if his eye cannot see them, then they do not exist. These words, and much of Ulquiorra's overall behavior, can lead one to assume that he is a firm believer in the concept of materialism, which also connects to his aspect of death as an Espada, nihilism. In the last seconds of his life, he seemed to have finally found his own "heart" and understood feelings. His cold demeanor allows him to stay completely calm and in control in most situations, and he is not easy surprised or caught off-guard. However, he does not seem to comprehend the human trait of fighting against all odds or the very concept of the Human heart/emotions; during his latest battle with Ichigo, he completely overwhelms the Shinigami after releasing his Zanpakutō, yet Ichigo continues to fight on regardless. This briefly causes him to lose his cool, causing him to shout at Ichigo out of frustration that "to continue fighting is pointless". He then transforms into his Segunda Etapa form in an attempt to show him "true despair". He also seems to contradict himself, telling Ichigo that it's natural for humans to mimic hollows to become stronger; but they will never be the equal of hollows, though the Arrancar are doing much of the same by imitating Shinigami. Ulquiorra is also highly perceptive, cunning, and analytical. During his and Yammy's first visit to the human world, he makes several surprisingly accurate remarks on the humans who confronted them. He theorizes that Orihime Inoue's healing power is a temporal-spatial ability, which Aizen later describes as the rejection of fate, and comments on how Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai can easily cut through Yammy's defenses. He also notes Ichigo's power fluctuation, which varies between very weak and stronger than his own. Ulquiorra seems to be demanding as well, such as when he came to Orihime's chamber and ordered her to eat a meal an Arrancar servant brought in, claiming that, for Aizen's benefit, it was her "duty" to stay alive. When Orihime hesitated, he threatened to force the food down her throat, or strap her to a table and feed her via an IV. This also implies that, while he prefers not to dirty his hands, Ulquiorra is fully capable of committing truly abhorrent and inhumane actions without feeling any shred of remorse or hesitation. After Ichigo's hollow form overwhelms and strikes him down during his last battle, Ulquiorra still maintains his composure and calmly berates himself for being defeated by a "Human-turned-Hollow". Believing that he no longer has a purpose in life, now that he was quickly defeated by his opponent, he then demands that Ichigo kill him, and compliments Ichigo when he decides to use a point-blank Cero to kill his opponent, claiming that the lack of mercy was "rather Hollow-like". This is a marked departure from most of his fellow Arrancar, who mostly died cursing their enemies or with an abject fear of death. History :"I was born at the bottom of the pit where no light shone. As if pressed together by the darkness, I lay there, uncertain of what to become; born under those dark sentiments. I had a white form. My comrades were all... in pure black. In those black forms, with their eyes shining and teeth baring, they were certainly eating something. And then... there was nothing to me, except my eyes. I felt nothing. No, rather... it was possible that what I felt was "void", yet I could hear nothing. I could bite nothing. I could smell nothing. I could feel nothing as I touch. I could not rest. I had no companion. Just walking, alone... The things reflected in my eyes have no meaning. The things that could not be reflected in my eyes, do not exist. Walking, Walking, Walking, Walking, Walking... When I had arrived at that thought... I have found something extraordindary. It was, somewhat, the place of birth for those... strange translucent objects that dotted this world. It was the first time... my eyes have been captured. With no color, with no sound, with no scent, it only exists there. Not interacting with anything, it only exists there. It was the closest existence to "void" that I had ever laid eyes on. I sank my body... into that great "void". There was nothing there, even I had lost my line of vision and dissolved into the void, and felt as if everything had disappeared. Happiness." .]] As a Hollow, Ulquiorra felt alone in the world, being white while those around him were black. He wandered Hueco Mundo alone, lamenting his existence, until one day he came across a white tree featuring many sharp spines. Ulquiorra found it satisfying due to its emptiness, and sank into it, destroying part of his mask, finally at peace. An unspecified amount of time later, he was recruited by Sōsuke Aizen into the Espada. Synopsis Part V Powers & Abilities Innate Abilities Arrancar Techniques Martial Arts Expert Against most of his opponents, Ulquiorra prefers to engage in hand-to-hand combat, to the point that it can be presumed that he exclusively relies on hand-to-hand combat, rarely drawing his sword at all. His abilities lack the technique to truly be considered on a "master-class" level, but in combination with his ruthless nature and immense physical strength, his skill allow him to face opponents of even Seireitou Kawahiru's prowess in Hakuda combat. Shikai blade.]] Standard Hand-to-Hand Prowess: Due to relying solely on fighting bare-handed, Ulquiorra has revealed a massive degree of technique and skill in his hand-to-hand combat style. An aggressive nature concealed within a cold composure, the Arrancar spares no time in attacking, preforming well-executed strikes with no wasted movement. Perhaps what makes Ulquiorra's abilities in hand-to-hand fighting so deadly is his emotionless persona, therefore making it almost impossible to ascertain his unpredictable movements, proven by such statements as when Ichigo Kurosaki noted that Ulquiorra was like that of a "machine" or a "statue" during their fight, but what also makes him a dangerous contender is his lack of restraint, capable of dealing any form of killing blow to his opponents, without a shred of mercy, so long as it will assure him success in his mission. In general, Ulquiorra's hand-to-hand fighting style is centered around his unique form of hierro. While the force of his strikes is due in part to his physical strength, it is also due to the reiatsu that Ulquiorra releases from his hands during those attacks, which only serves to enhance the killing efficiency of his blows. Whenever he would "discipline" Yammy Llargo, a small trace of ash is shown escaping Ulquiorra's fist, due to the discharge of reiatsu from his strike. However, that being said, Ulquiorra is not without modesty. His techniques are never "over-the-top" and only seek to subdue and/or defeat the opponent (depending on his intentions) in as quick a manner as possible. Despite this, he very rarely initiates a fight, prefering to instead assume a defensive stance against an opponent. In his first confrontation with Ichigo, he provoked the Shinigami and held back the force of the latter's swing from his Zanpakutō's Shikai state with the back of his hand. Without even forming a tense balled-up fist, the back of his palm was resolute enough to completely block Ichigo's attack effortlessly, while simultaneously pushing the Shinigami back with similar ease. Ulquiorra also seems to prefer applying an "off-the-ground" method of combat, often attacking opponents from aerial standpoints. This was displayed repeatedly during his second match against Ichigo, where he took advantage of the latter's broad sword swings, using a swift "push-off" from the air above him through the use of Sonído, closing the gap in a single instance in order to strike down his opponent. Ulquiorra also demonstrated a similar form of attack when he attempted to use his Cero on an offending Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez by attacking him from the air above his head. chest.]] Karate Master: Ulquiorra's fighting style is modeled directly after an ancient form of karate, the fighting style of the open hand. Karate itself is a weapon that functions at its greatest efficiency when it is wielded by one who is fearless and resolute; in other words, by one who is undisturbed by trivial distractions. To an emotionless being whom believes in a paradigm that there lies no meaning in anything before his eyes, Ulquiorra utilizes Karate to a degree that most Hakuda masters cannot hope to stay toe-to-toe with him in unarmed combat. It is due to his constant calm composure that his techniques never reveal any form of emotional wavering, each strike centered to kill and annihiliate the opponent(s) by whatever means necessary. In most cases, Ulquiorra keeps his left hand in his hakama pockets while using only his right hand to fend off attackers. While he retains his defensive position, when he attacks, he prefers to strike with knife-hand techniques. In doing so, his attacks are like that of a blade, stabbing through a target with utmost ease and precision, while not making much of a mess of his victim. His trademark attack towards prey that he likes is to impale an opponent in the chest and gouge a hole in them in the same place as his own. One such display of this tendency was when he defeated Ichigo in their first confrontation, seemingly "killing" the Substitute Shinigami with a swift strike through the chest, causing him to lose conciousness and his Bankai to recede back into the Zanpakutō. In essence, Karate can also be considered the unarmed version of Kendō, which is all tied into the user's indomitable spirit. However, due to Ulquiorra being incapable of understanding a concept such as willpower and heart, his Karate is instead tied into his complete control over his emotions, allowing him to remain in an almost constant state of mushin. As a result, Ulquiorra's martial art is fueled completely by this resolute emotional personality of his, which, due to the fact that he is the embodiment of nihility, makes his Karate even more deadly than one whom possesses a fierce spirit and a seemingly unyielding will, allowing Ulquiorra to overwhelm even such aforementioned opponents of similar skill levels. When using both hands, however, against an opponent which requires a bit more effort on his part, Ulquiorra's stance changes to reflect a more poetic form of fighting. His strikes are no longer mainly direct thrusts but now deal in more circular motion, making spins with his hips in order to take advantage of the built-up torque to deal more devastating blows to the opponent while also striking them with constant assault, overwhelming them with his precise and powerful attacks. In this barrage-like method of fighting, even Seireitou Kawahiru finds himself initially having a difficult time stepping into Ulquiorra's maai space in order to deal a decisive counterstrike. Subsequently, he was actually able to outdo Seireitou's own Karate style at first, a feat that was surprisingly acknowledged by the Hakuda Grandmaster himself. Ulquiorra is able to effortlessly alter between an offensive position to a defensive position, and vice-versa, during a fight. Likewise, Ulquiorra has been shown to incorperate kicks into his fighting style. Just like his knife-hand strikes, his leg techniques are generally thrust kicks, typically aimed for the head in order to crush the target in a single blow. Swordsmanship Master .]] Though he rarely engages in it, Ulquiorra shows himself to be a true master of swordsmanship. The reason why he rarely will utilize swordsmanship against an opponent is that he finds it almost unnecessary for most of those who challenge him and/or stand before him. It was speculated by Ichigo Kurosaki that he only draws his sword against opponents he considers "worthy", though Ulquiorra retorted that he drew his blade because Ichigo was "an enemy worth destroying." Zanpakutō Murciélago (黒翼大魔 (ムルシエラゴ), Murushierago; Spanish for "Bat", Japanese for "Black-Winged Great Demon"): Ulquiorra's Zanpakutō, in its sealed form, takes the form of a standard sized katana with a green handle and sheath. The guard has two curved extensions from its long sides, with a line going through both sides to give it an eye-like appearance. Quotes * (To Orihime Inoue) "The fact that you only have two escorts is a bit anticlimactic, but having those annoying walls fixed in place suits me just fine, since rushing a conversation isn't really in my nature." * (To Orihime) "What would you have me say? "Don't worry, I'm sure he's still alive." Ridiculous. I am not here to comfort you. I don't understand why are you so fixated on life and death? At any rate, your friends will soon be annihilated. So what if that's one step closer? They should have seen this coming from the start. If they couldn't see it coming, the fault lies in their own foolishness. Laughing them off as a group of idiots would be sufficient. Why can't you do that? If it were me, and my friends entered Hueco Mundo without first gauging their strength, I'd be infuriated by their stupidity." * (After being called "Ulquiorra-kun") "...It's Ulquiorra. Do not refer to me as you would to a human. When you call me, you address me as "Ulquiorra". Call me only that." * (To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Even if you rise up a thousand times, there will be no victory for any of you." * (To Orihime) "Hearts, you say? You Humans are always so quick to speak of such things. As though you carry your hearts in the very palms of your hands. But this eye of mine perceives all. There is nothing that it overlooks. If this eye cannot see a thing, then it does not exist. That is the assumption under which I have always fought. What is this "heart"? If I tear open that chest of yours, will I see it there? If I smash open that skull of yours, will I see it there?" * (To Ichigo) "Do not lose your composure, do not break your stance, stretch out your awareness, and do not let your guard down for even a second." * (Regarding Hollowfication) "No matter how similar your appearance and techniques may be to those of an Arrancar their power is as far apart as heaven and earth. When a Shinigami or Human wishes to gain power, imitating Hollows is an appropriate course of action. However, because they are imitating, Humans will never be equal to Hollows." * (Before entering Segunda Etapa) "If you do not know it, then I shall enlighten you. This is the form of true despair." * (To Ichigo) "You are a fool, Ichigo Kurosaki. You challenge an opponent whose strength terrifies you and think that you can win. It is beyond my comprehension. If it is due to what you Humans call a 'heart', it is because of that heart that you suffer injuries and it is because of that heart that you will lose your life." * (While dying) "I see. This. Yes. This thing in my hand is the heart?" Behind the Scenes The information listed on this page is a fanwork based on Ulquiorra Cifer, and will depict non-canon elements. Thusly, this article will only be used in works of the author unless permission is given by another user. In addition, some parts of this page's content is derived from Bleach Wikia. This text is available for use under the GNU Free Documentation License.